New Beginnings

Happy New Year! For those of you who don't like the notion of New Years resolutions, read no further, but for those of you who have no problem with the notion of creating new goals for a new year, here goes! Towards the end of this year, I have slacked off in a number of areas, this blog included. Perhaps I was distracted by anticipation for the upcoming holidays, but whatever the case, I'm looking forward to fresh perspective and a fresh start.

1. First of all, this blog, I'd like to try to write on here once a week. Nothing profound or book-worthy necessarily, but just my thoughts about life at the moment, maybe just pictures, whatever is floating my boat during any given week. Writing/journaling has always been therapeutic for me and I believe it's part of the way God uses me for His purposes and glory, both in and through me, so more...yes. And here's something less serious, but just as fun! I intend to jump on the give-away bandwagon very soon, so stay tuned!

2. I'd also like to limit my time on facebook. I'm thinking about a certain time limit each day at a certain time. I'm not sure exactly how it will look yet, but I just know I want less time in front of technology this year. The T.V. isn't a big temptation for me, but I'd also like less veg time and more reading time, which leads to my next goal.

3. More time in the Word. I don't think this goal will ever NOT be on my resolution list! I would really like to join a Bible study this year for the added accountability, so if you live in my town and know of some good ones coming up, please let me know. I am also praying that as I dig deeper into God's Word, that it would over-flow into more intentional teaching of the Word to our kids. I'd like to have family scripture memory be part of daily lives, perhaps a monthly verse to memorize.

4. Less sugar, more exercise. Yes, you knew a fitness goal had to be on here;). After all the scrumptious Christmas cookies, I'm planning to cut sugar down big time! Aunt Pam, your peanut clusters are my nemesis! (But I do want the recipe for next Christmas;). On the exercise front, I'm shooting for 30 minutes, 4 times a week at the minimum, but I hope to grow from there.

5. More quality time and shared activities with my main man! We'd really like to venture out, just our little immediate family, on more adventures this year too.

6. I'd like to invest more time and energy into my friendships. My girls are so important to me and I want to love on them better.

7. I'm praying for more of those famous fruits of the spirit in my life. I know they come from abiding in the Vine, so of course, that's where I must start, but I need the Lord for even that step. But I'm really asking for more patience in this role of mothering.

8. The last one I can think of right now is that I'd like to be more real and vulnerable with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I want you all to know the hard right along with the good. Perhaps it's easy to omit some of the hard or less than perfect as I strive, in optimism, to "pump myself up" with what is good and positive on here. But I wouldn't, for a moment (Faith), want anyone to get the impression that life is roses over here all the time or that I don't wrestle with that nasty sin nature every single day. Just because I'm no longer a slave to it, just because I am a new creation in Christ, that doesn't mean I don't fight to live inside this new freedom each and every moment. And boy do I have mountains to learn from each of you! Grace is the name of the game and I want to do more living in it (not to be confused with riding on it;)).

So how bout this, in the spirit of New Years goals, why don't you post some of your own and tell me about it.

Cheers to 2010!
Love, Sarah